Page 260 of Kentrell

Or you still tryna recover from this morning?

I laughed under my breath, biting my bottom lip. This man was ridiculous.

Me

Up. Barely. You ain’t right for what you did to me.

But I liked it.

Three dots blinked and disappeared. Then came his response:

My Honey

Stay in the bed today if you can.

I’on want you running yourself down after you just got back right

I didn’t realize I was smiling until my cheeks started to ache.

Me

I’ll rest. Promise.

Love you.

No response this time. But I didn’t need one. He saw it. Hefeltit. And I could live in that truth for now.

I lowered my phone and padded over to the kitchen to make some tea, still moving slow. Setting it on the counter, I filled the kettle with water and put it on the stove to boil.

When I was battling that stomach bug, peppermint tea got me through the worst of it. Out of habit, it had become part of my morning routine.

Just as the kettle started to whistle, my phone pinged with a new notification.

I took the pot off the heat and grabbed my phone with one hand, ripping open a tea packet with the other. Dropped the bag into my favorite mug and poured just enough water to leave room for two squeezes of honey.

My eyes lowered to my screen.

A new email.

From Tasha Williams—my colleague turned friend—who’d recently started a nonprofit appeals program to give back to the community.

New Email — “Shaniece Johnson | Preliminary Review”

From: Tasha Williams

“Yay! It’s here!” I beamed, taking a sip and nearly burning my tongue in the process.

“Shoot!” I hissed, fanning my mouth as I padded down the hall and into Kentrell’s office.

Dropping into the massive, oak-colored desk chair, I smiled to myself. For a second, it felt like I was back in my own office—spacious, with a reading nook, a sitting area, and a fully stocked snack bar.

Subject:Shaniece Johnson | Preliminary Review

From:Tasha Williams [email protected]

To:Zoe Davis [email protected]

Zoe,

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